The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, host of Bengals-Falcons on November 8, in an archive photo. Photo by Ank Kumar, resized.Madrid, again: Bengals-Falcons and 69 NFL games abroad, step by step
The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, host of Bengals-Falcons on November 8, in an archive photo. Photo by Ank Kumar, resized.Back at the Bernabéu
The 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals and the 3-5 Atlanta Falcons meet at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday, November 8, at 3:30 p.m. in Madrid (4:30 p.m. Cairo time). Atlanta is the designated home team.
It is the second regular-season game in Spain in as many seasons. The first, on November 16, 2025, went to overtime: the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Commanders 16-13.
Wembley Stadium in London, site of the first regular-season game in Europe on October 28, 2007. Photo by Wonker, CC-BY-2.0, resized.From one game to nine
The first regular-season game played outside the U.S. was in Mexico City on October 2, 2005, when Arizona beat San Francisco 31-14. London followed on October 28, 2007, a 13-10 Giants win over Miami at Wembley. Buffalo then played six regular-season games in Toronto from 2008 to 2013.
The schedule held at three to five games a season for a decade, skipped 2020 entirely, then grew again: seven in 2025 and nine this season across Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City.
Regular-season games outside the U.S., by season
- Mexico City: Cardinals 31, 49ers 14.
- London: Giants 13, Dolphins 10 at Wembley.
- Munich, Frankfurt and São Paulo join the map.
- Dublin, Berlin and Madrid debut.
- Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris debut.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the Jaguars’ 2021 London game against Miami. Photo by Tony Hisgett, CC-BY-2.0, resized.45 of them in Britain
London has hosted 45 of the 71 games scheduled abroad through this season, at Wembley, Twickenham and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mexico, Canada and Germany have six each — Germany’s sixth is the Patriots-Lions game in Munich on November 15.
Jacksonville has played abroad more than anyone, 16 times, and is 8-8. Every current franchise has now played at least one international regular-season game.
International regular-season games by country (through 2026)
Mike McCarthy in Paris on October 23, 2026. Image: Pittsburgh Steelers / YouTube.The road team keeps winning
Being the designated home team abroad has not meant much. In 68 games played so far, the listed home team is 29-38-1. This season it is 1-5: only Jacksonville, 19-17 over Philadelphia in London, won as the host. The Rams lost in Melbourne, the Cowboys in Rio, Washington and the Jaguars in London, and the Saints in Paris.
The games are usually close. Forty-one of the 68 have been decided by eight points or fewer, and five went to overtime, including Madrid last year.
2026 international games so far, final margin
Michael Penix Jr., Drake London and Bijan Robinson in Madrid on November 5, 2026. Image: Atlanta Falcons / YouTube.Two clubs, little luck abroad
Atlanta is 2-3 in international games. It beat Buffalo 34-31 in overtime in Toronto in 2013 and the Jets 27-20 in London in 2021, and lost to Detroit 22-21 (2014) and Jacksonville 23-7 (2023) in London and to Indianapolis 31-25 in overtime in Berlin last season.
Cincinnati has never won abroad. It tied Washington 27-27 in overtime at Wembley in 2016 and lost 24-10 to the Rams there in 2019.
“I think every game is a statement game, but for us, this game right here is something that can be a culture changer in the building.”— Bijan Robinson, Falcons running back, in Madrid
The Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas, where the Bengals practised this week, in an archive photo. Photo by Roberto, resized.What each side brings
Cincinnati arrives at 5-2 with Joe Burrow leading the league with 20 touchdown passes. Safety Kyle Dugger is out with a quadriceps injury and edge rusher Cedric Johnson is questionable. Atlanta is 3-5 under first-year coach Kevin Stefanski after a 16-0 loss at Tampa Bay in which Michael Penix Jr. threw four interceptions; running back Brian Robinson Jr. and receiver Zachariah Branch are out.
After Madrid, two international games remain this season: Patriots-Lions in Munich on November 15 and Vikings-49ers in Mexico City on November 22.
- Bengals vs. Falcons, Madrid — 4:30 p.m. Cairo.
- Patriots vs. Lions, Munich.
- Vikings vs. 49ers, Mexico City — the last of nine.
“I want to be great. I want to win football games for this team.”— Michael Penix Jr., Falcons quarterback
Game 69 abroad. Number seven of a record nine this season. Road teams 38-29-1 all time, and 5-1 this year. The Bengals have never won outside the U.S.; the Falcons are the designated home side in a stadium that has seen one NFL game, and it went to overtime.
Interactive by WhyNFL Staff · November 7, 2026
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